I heard it before I saw it. I got up early and headed for a jog on a path along the Bow River from the town of Banff which the hotel folks told me was safe and well-traveled. A glance at the map showed me Bow Falls wouldn't be too far, so I crossed a pedestrian bridge and made a turn that direction.

One nice thing about this path - it was flat! We are in the mountains, so you never know! It wasn't too long before the quiet morning gave way to a dull rushing sound. I neared a set of steep stairs and it grew louder. I was at the top of Bow Falls. Two sets of ups and downs later, and there it was - a gorgeous cascade of water over rocks, sending a refreshing mist into already crisp morning air. What a way to start the morning!

My run stop was a preview of a city tour our group took a couple hours later, so I got to have another look later! A spin around the city also took us up a hill to take in a feature called the Hoodoos. These are tall formations of sandstone formed by sandstone 150 years ago. Our guide told us the First Nations People believe they were spirits that came to life after dark.

Several of us in the group got a very different view of the Hoodoos later in the day, when we decided to take a float trip down the Bow River. Check out the photos on my Facebook page, www.facebook.com/WIBWMelissaBrunner.